Air conditioning device for beds



Feb. 8, 1949? o. MITCHELL AIR CONDITIONING DEVICE FOR BEDS F iled May 22, 1944 ORV/Lu:- ITCHELLJ 3/ W if flrroeyizsi Patented Feb. 8, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcr.

AIR CGNDITION-ING DEVICE FOR BEDS Orville Mitchell, Dallas, Tern, assignor to John E. Mitchell Company, Dallas, Tex., a corporation of Missouri Application May 22, 1944, Serial No. 536,741

. bed is situated is uncomfortable.

Another object is to so construct a bedstead and its mattress that temperature controlled air can be circulated through the mattress and around the occupant.

A further object is V to provide an improved means for cooling a bed and the space directly above the mattress. V v

Other objects will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: i

Fig. 1 is a side view partly in section of a bed having associated therewith means embodying the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a top view of the bed shown in Fig. 1,

parts being removed and in section to show desprings 6, shown as of the box type. The head member, as shown, comprises two posts I and 8 between which is a connecting panel 9. The foot member is of similar construction comp-rising two posts 10 and H and a connecting panel l'2. The

head and foot members are shown as of the same height, extending some distance above the mattress as, for example, eighteen inches or two feet.

The mattress 13 which is employed on top of the springs 6 is preferably of the coil spring type. The coils [4 are positioned vertically between the two padded surfaces Hand to, said coils being covered with. suitable material as is common practice. The covered coils are somewhat spaced apart in order to provide open spaces whereby passages H are formed for permitting air to flow freely through the interior of the mattress. The end of the mattress adjacent the head of the bed is provided with an opening or port l8 and the other end at the foot of the bed has an opening or port 19. The openings are preferably of the same size so that either can he used as an inlet or outlet, thus permitting the interchanging of the ends of the mattress.

2 As shown, the opening 18 is an inlet and i9 an outlet. The ends of the mattress have surrounding flanges 20 and 21 for the respective openings l8 and I9. I

The panel 9 of the head member 2 carries a casing member 22 through which extends a vertically arranged conduit 23 with its upper end opening to the inner side. of the head member panel, and its lower end opening to the space beneath the springs and cross slats oithe, bed. The upper end is adjacent the end of, the mattress and is connected to the inlet opening 18 a by the surrounding flange .120. The lower end of the. conduit is arranged to receive a fan 24 whereby air can be drawn from the space beneath the bed and forced throughthe conduit and into the interior of the mattress. Positioned in the conduit between the fan and the mattress end are cooling coils 25 of a cooling unit (not shown) which is housed in the casing '22. The cooling unit may be of the well known mechanical type comprising a small compressor, suitable valving and a suitable fluid, A small motor can drive the compressor and the motive power can also drive the fan. A separate fan motor can alsobe used if found desirable. In place of the mechanical unit the cooling coils can, if desired, have ice water flowing therethrough, said water being supplied from a quantity of ice which may be placed in a suitable container in the casing 22. When ice water is used, a drain s provided.

On the sides of the bedstead between the posts 1 .and I0 and 8 and H are two curtains 2 6 and 21 which may be arranged to be readily removable. .The curtains form side walls and extend from a point closely adjacentt'he floor on which the bedstead rests to a point. substantially at the top of the posts. These walls with the panels of the end members provide an enclosed space above the top surface of the mattress and with the floor substantially totally enclose the space beneath the spring. The rear end slat 5 of the bedstead is arranged so. as to cut off inter-communication between the space above the mattress 1and below the. springs at theifoot end of the matress.

When the cooling system is associatedwith the bed in the manner above described, with the cooling unit and the fan in operation, there will be a continuous circulation of cool air through the mattress and then through the space above the top surface of the mattress. The fan will draw airin from the space below the springs of the b d, and this air will then pass around the cooling coils and flow into the interior of the mattress, thus cooling the mattress. The air will then find its way through the passages surrounding the coils and out through the outlet i9 at the rear end of the mattress where it will strike the panel of the foot member of the bed. Since this cool air leaving the mattress is prevented from moving downwardly into the space beneath the bed due to the position of the rear cross slat between the rails, said cool air will move upwardly and into the space above the top surface of the mattress. Therefore, this space will be maintained at a substantially uniform cool temperature. The air in the space above the mattress can move downwardly "between the sides of the mattress and the curtains 25 and 26, and reach the space between the floor and the springs of the bed where it will again be withdrawn by the fan and recirculated after being cooled by the cooling coils. Some fresh air will always be added to the air being circulated since the curtains will not be air tight against the floor and around the bedstead, and also because the enclosed space above the mattress is not covered. It is, of course, obvious that this space need not be covered to obtain a continuous cool body of air in such space since coolair, being heavier than warm air, will not have a tendency to move upwardly and out of the top of the enclosed space.

The air conditioned bed just described is very V economical to operate as it requires only suflicient cool air to maintain the air in, above and below the mattress in a cool condition. The volume of air being cooled is relatively small in comparison with the room in which the bed will be situated. Thus the cooling unit can be small as will also the fan, since it is not desirable to circulate the air with-any appreciable velocity.

With the air conditioned bed, the occupant can get a very restful sleep and yet will not have to expend a large amount of money to provide a cooling unit which is capable of cooling the entire bedroom. Another feature of the air conditioning system for a bed is that both the mattress and the air above the mattress is cooled. When a cooling system is employed to cool an entire bedroom in order to obtain proper sleeping conditions, the occupant of the bed is generally cool only on the side exposed to the air and not on the side resting upon the mattress. Thus, by properly maintaining the temperature of the air being circulated, it is possible by the invention to produce uniform temperature conditions for the entire body, and not have a condition where a portion of the body may be uncomfortably cool and another portion unpleasantly warm. The manner in which the air conditioning system is associated with the mattress does not in any way prevent the mattress from being turned over on the springs or turned end for end in order to prevent depressions in the mattress 'from occurring.

It is also possible to use the air conditioning system to circulate warm air instead of cool air, if the weather conditions demand such. When this is done, the cooling coils can serve as coils for conducting some hot medium such as water,

and when the air is passed around said coils it will be heated prior to entering the mattress. This warm air passing through the mattress will keep the occupant of the bed comfortable without the necessity of a large quantity of covers. When the system circulates warm air instead of cool air, it is possible that the curtains forming the side wall could be eliminated, since the warm air in the mattress will automatically warm the air above the mattress, due to the fact that warm air rises. It may be desirable, however, to employ the curtains as an aid in recirculating previously warmed air so that the cost of operation can be maintained at a minimum.

Although the improved air conditioning system is shown associated in a particular way with a particular type of bed, including a coil spring mattress, it is obvious that differently constructed bedsteads and mattresses can be employed without departing from the fundamental principles of the invention. It is intended that the invention should be restricted only in a manner as set forth in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an air conditioning system, a bedstead, a mattress supported on the bedstead and constructed with inlet and outlet ports and passages through the interior of the mattress connecting said ports, wall means surrounding the mattress above the top surface thereof. passage means from above the top of the mattress to the inlet, means for circulating air through the mattress passages by way of the inlet port, the passages, and the outlet port, into the wall surrounded space above the mattress and then by the passage means back to the inlet port for recirculation through the mattress passages, and means for causing a change in the temperature of the circulated air prior to its entry into the mattress passages.

2. In an air conditioning system, the combination with a bedstead, of a mattress supported on the bedstead in spaced relation to the floor on which the bedstead rests and being constructed to have an inlet port, an outlet port and air passages therethrough, a wall in surrounding relation to the mattress and extending from adjacent the floor to a distance above the top surface of the mattress. a conduit leading from the space beneath the mattress to the inlet port, means associated with the conduit for drawing air from the space beneath the mattress and forcing it through the mattress passages, and other means associated with the conduit for causing the temperature of the air which has passed therethrough to be different from the temperature of the air beneath the mattress. V

3. In an air conditioning system, a bedstead a mattress supported on the bedstead and constructed with passages through its interior together with inlet and outlet ports, means enclosing a space above the top surface of the mattress, passage means between the said space and the inlet port, means for continuously circulating a r first through the mattress passages by way of the inlet port, the passages and the outlet port and then through the space above the mattress, and means for lowering the temperature of the circulated air prior to its movement through the mattress passages.

4. In an air conditioning system, a bedstead, a mattress supported on the bedstead and constructed with passages through its interior together with inlet and outlet ports, means enclos ing a space above the top surface of the mattress, means enclosing the space below the mattress, the inlet being in communication with the lower space and the outlet with the upper, and recirculation passage means between the upper and lower spaces, means for continuously circulating air first through the mattress passages by way of the inlet and outlet ports and then, through the space'above the mattress, said means comprising a conduit leading from beneath the mattress to the inlet port and a fan associated with the conduit, and means for lowering the temperature of the circulated air prior to its movement through the mattress passages.

5. In an air conditioning system, the combination with a bedstead, of a mattress supported on the bedstead in spaced relation to the floor on which the bedstead rests and being constructed to have an inlet and an outlet port and air passages therethrough, a wall in surrounding relation to the mattress and extending from adjacent the floor to a distance above the top surface of the mat- 6 receiving member on the support comprising an enclosing cover having an upper surface element and a lower surface element separated to provide an air passage therebetween, resilent means within the cover between the upper and lower elements, the lower surface element being above the bottom of the support, wall means around the support providing an enclosure below'the lower surface element, the body receiving member closing the top of the enclosure, inlet means into the body-receiving member between its upper and lower surface elements, outlet means from said body-receiving member at a point spaced from the inlet means and above the top of the enclosure, passage means spaced from the outlet and leading downward into the enclosure, means to draw conditioning air through the passage means into the enclosure and to force it into the inlet, and

with the conduit for lowering the temperature of the air passing therethrough and prior to its entry into the mattress passages.

6. In an air conditioning system, the combination with a bedstead, of a coil spring mattress supported on the bedstead and constructed to have air passages around the coil springs together with an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other end, means enclosing a space above the top surface of the mattress, means for continuously forcing air through the mattress inlet, the passages in the mattress, out the outlet and into the enclosed space above the mattress, and means for lowering the temperature of the air prior to its entering the mattress inlet.

7. In an air conditioning system, the combination with a bedstead, of a coiled spring mattress supported on the bedstead in spaced relation to the floor on which the bedstead rests and arranged to have air passages around the coil spring together with an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other end, means providing walls carried by the bedstead in surrounding relation to the mattress and extending from the floor to a distance above the top surface of the mattress, means for drawing air from the space below the mattress and forcing it into the mattress inlet, and means for lowering the temperature of the air before it is forced into the mattress inlet.

8. In an air conditioning system for a bed, a coil spring mattress having an inlet, an outlet and passages therethrough around the coil springs, a conduit leading to the inlet, means associated with the conduit for forcing air through the mattress passages and out the outlet, and means for maintaining the temperature of the air being forced into the mattress at a substantially uniform temperature diiferent from atmospheric temperature.

9. In an air conditioned bed, a support, a bodymeans to condition the air thus circulated.

10. An air conditioned bed comprising a bedstead, a mattress supported on the bedstead in spaced relation to the floor on which the bedstead rests and having air passages therethrough,'an air inlet at one end and an air outlet at the other end of said mattress, said air passages communicating with said inlet and said outlet, means providing walls carried by the bedstead in surrounding relation to the mattress and extending from the floor to a distance above the top surface of the mattress, a conduit communicating the space below the mattress and the mattress inlet, a blower in the conduit for drawing air from the space below the mattress and forcing it into the mattress inlet and through the passages in the mattress and out the outlet thereof, and means in the conduit for maintaining the temperature of the air forced therethrough at a substantially uniform temperature different from that of the surrounding atmosphere.

ORVILLE MITCHELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 882,714 Proctor -1 May 24, 1908 1,891,903 Bang Dec. 27, 1932 1,936,960 Bowman Nov. 28, 1933 2,154,638 Reeves Apr. 18, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 429,326 France July 13, 1911 249,760 Great Britain Apr. 1, 1926 448,806 Great Britain June 16, 1936 

